Final Update : Custom Heroes, Premium App, and more.
3 months ago
– Thu, Feb 08, 2024 at 09:30:24 AM
As the tales of our heroes unfold, I hope you've found yourselves fully immersed in the adventure and intrigue of the unfolding plot. The time is nearly upon us to choose your main hero, marking a pivotal moment in your story. Brace yourselves, as peace in the forest is fleeting, and your hero will soon be called upon to defend the heart of Wrenwood.
As we approach the culmination of this project and set our sights on the exciting horizons ahead, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each of you for embarking on this remarkable journey with us. Through every high and low, the joy and challenge of bringing the captivating story of Wrenwood to life have been immensely rewarding.
Express Your Allegiance!
Do you have a favorite character yet? Have you picked your main hero? If so, show your love and order their character pin, it isn't too late. Whether adorning your bag, jacket, or collection board, these pins are a must-have for any true adventurer.
Bring your hero with you wherever you go! Our limited-edition enamel pins are the perfect way to celebrate your journey through Wrenwood and keep your hero by your side. Each pin is crafted with stunning detail, capturing the essence and spirit of your chosen champion.
Apologies for Prior Delays
We recognize the challenges and delays you've experienced with shipping in the EU, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. As a token of our appreciation for your patience and support, we are offering all affected backers an additional digital download, including both the PDF and an extra App code.
These bonuses have already been credited to your BackerKit accounts. We hope this gesture demonstrates our commitment to your satisfaction. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Custom Heroes
The moment you've been eagerly awaiting has arrived! Unleash your creativity and forge your own destiny with our brand-new custom hero creation rules!
This is your chance to tailor a hero that resonates with your spirit, embarking on an unparalleled adventure that's as unique as you are. Get the rules here!
Premium App
Many of you have been anxiously awaiting the premium features promised in the Hero App. While some of these are still in development, we are just about ready to release Custom Hero Creation and Leveling Up Multiple Heroes. You will also see Party Management (a non-premium feature) in there as well.
If you previously bought a tier or kit that comes with a Premium App Code, you will soon be receiving an email letting you know you have more digital downloads. Just like the PDFs, these codes will always be stored in your BackerKit survey. Once the app update is released, you will find a place to use the code to unlock those features.
Genghis Con 2024
We're thrilled to announce our return to Genghis Con, bringing even more excitement and surprises to Booth 43! 🎉 Join us for an unforgettable experience. Challenge us to a game of Recruits, and you might just walk away with a coveted trinket to commemorate your victory.
But that's not all – be among the first to uncover an exclusive sneak peek into the future Quest Calendar 2025. Secrets await, and you have the unique opportunity to discover them before anyone else.
Thank You and Happy Questing
Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. Together, we're not just reading a story; we're living it. The next chapter promises to be our most thrilling yet, and I can't wait to see where this journey takes us. Stay tuned, the adventure is just beginning!
2024 Begins!
4 months ago
– Mon, Jan 01, 2024 at 07:26:11 PM
Are you ready to answer the call of the forest?
App Status
The free versions of the apps are now available!
iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quest-calendar-heroes-2024/id6472247950
Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sundialgames.qcheroes24
The first 6 weeks of the calendar will have you playing each of the main heroes as you familiarize yourself with them and the world they inhabit. This version of the app is set to work with all 6 heroes during this introduction. We will be building and releasing premium features during this time. Once available, we will send out codes for those who pre-ordered the premium app features.
We welcome feedback, questions, and bug reports. Feel free to reach out to either or both [email protected] and [email protected]
Full Rules
Full Rules PDF
Low Ink Rules PDF
We have finally released a PDF containing expanded rules and examples. Click here to download and take a look.
You may also want to play a custom hero. We are finalizing those rules as well and hope to release them soon.
As you play...
For corrections to errors you and others find, see our Errata section on Board Game Geek. We've already encountered an error for Tak's Gust ability (it should let you reroll Dexterity, not Wisdom) and have updated the digital files on itch.io.
I want to encourage each of you to join our Discord community. It is a great place to discuss your journey and get help with questions.
You can also find a community on Board Game Geek amongst the Forums for the 2024 Quest Calendar. It is also a great place to post findings and questions and browse other posts.
Shipping Update
- USA - shipping is 100% complete.
- UK - shipping is 100% complete.
- Rest of the World - shipping is 100% complete.
- Canada - I don't have the details, but believe all packages have been shipped.
- EU - 31% of orders (147 of 472) have been Dispatched. I believe GamesQuestwill return to the office on Jan 2nd. Once sent from Germany, packages go by Intermail Tracked Premium. You should receive an email with tracking information once it is dispatched.
Did your mail get lost, or are you missing something? See below for info on Lost Mail and what to do with Missing and Damaged Items.
Lessons Learned in Shipping
As we bid farewell to this year and welcome a new one, I want to take a moment to address the recent shipping challenges that have impacted many of you, especially during the crucial Christmas period.
I extend my deepest apologies to those of you who experienced delayed deliveries or are still waiting for your orders. I recognize the disappointment this has caused, especially for those who had planned their holiday around our products. Your trust in us is something we highly value, and I am genuinely sorry for not living up to the expectations.
This year’s shipping scenario was a complex puzzle with many moving parts. We had an ambitious plan: 40 different shipments to 5 locations for fulfillment, all air-shipped to expedite the process. But, with 456 packages crisscrossing the globe, challenges were inevitable. A striking example was an entire shipment of calendars stuck in German customs for weeks, a situation we were unaware of and, unfortunately, powerless to expedite.
Another hiccup came from a software issue - a 'feature' in Microsoft Excel, to be precise, which led to a miscalculation in our inventory allocation. Even with expedited processing, these errors caused significant delays, for which I take full responsibility.
I also want to address the frustration felt by many of you in the U.S. regarding the order of dispatch. Our method of grouping orders, rather than processing them sequentially, was a practical decision given the volume of packages. This approach, though efficient, understandably caused disappointment among those who pledged early but received their orders later. I hear your concerns and am reflecting on how we can balance efficiency with fairness in future.
Moreover, the timeline for completing the writing of the calendar was delayed, impacting our overall schedule. While there were personal reasons for this mentioned in earlier posts, I believe in upholding a standard of responsibility, regardless of circumstances.
This entire experience has been both challenging and enlightening. It has impacted not just our relationship with you but also my personal life. This Christmas, I found myself missing family traditions to focus on resolving these issues, a situation I deeply regret.
Moving forward, our key lesson is to allow more buffer time for unexpected delays. We are committed to analyzing and refining our processes, ensuring we're better prepared for such complexities in the future.
In closing, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding. Your support is the cornerstone of this community, and we are dedicated to restoring your confidence in us. We are learning, growing, and most importantly, we are here because of you.
Lost Mail?
It happens during this time of year. I know it can suck. We all hate porch pirates. Here is what you need to know. If your tracking information shows that your package was delivered but you can't find it, USPS offers this advice:
Carrier may have placed it in a safer location, please check:
- Mailbox
- Porch
- Garage
- Any area out of potential weather hazards
- Exterior doors and any locations where the package could be placed
- Check your mailbox again as some packages come separately from your regular mail.
- Check with others in your house that may have accepted it.
In rare cases, package may show as 'delivered' but could take additional 24 hours. If it has been over 24 hours from the 'delivered' status, to save time a service request may be sent by email to your local Post Office™ facility for follow-up. You will receive a confirmation number and a contact within 2-3 business days.
We will need to follow up with USPS regarding any missing packages. Once they confirm it is lost, then we can send a replacement. See their site: https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm
The basic process is:
Missing & Damaged Items?
Sometimes there are mistakes - by us and sometimes mail carriers play soccer with your packages. If you have missing or damaged items:
Until the next update, Happy Questing in Wrenwood in 2024.
~Thomas and the Sundial Games family.
Did someone say SHIPPING!?
5 months ago
– Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 03:36:22 PM
We've been getting lots of questions asking for updates on the shipping. Well...
The elves are busy at work!
Fulfillment and shipping are currently underway. My family has been very busy packing away your rewards and sending them off. There is so much do this year but we are getting better at it. It was warm when we took these photos, then the cold front came through and we cranked up the heaters. Can someone say "papercut"?
Where is my package? When will it arrive? Has it been shipped yet? Will it arrive before Christmas? Where is my tracking number? What if something is missing or damaged?
Many of you are burning with questions about your rewards. I understand. I will try to direct you to answers in this email. Meanwhile, we will be very busy with getting everyone's packages out. We won't have time to look into every inquiry until we are closer to getting everything shipped. If you don't hear from us, please be patient. Your rewards are being packed up, sent out, and on the way.
Shipping Notices and Tracking Numbers
Within the US: Orders will have tracking numbers when they are close to being shipped. If you haven't received a notice yet, please be patient. It takes us some time. If you are in the US, your tracking number is also located in your BackerKit survey. Lost your survey?. If it isn't there, your label hasn't been generated yet.
Outside the US: We are still coordinating with GamesQuest and their partners to get the orders dispatched as soon as they can. GamesQuest has a blog and status site, but it doesn't seem up to date. It still shows the calendars as in the air on the update on the 5th, but I know they had arrived. Their fulfillment partners will send out tracking info to you when your package has shipped. It won't be on BackerKit. Look out for emails and check your junk/spam folders if you are not in the US.
What if I don't get mine in time?
We are working diligently to send out parcels with USPS Priority Mail that should arrive within 1-3 days (in the US) after they are picked up. Still, some of you have gift-giving events before Christmas, or might have trouble with lost mail.
For those that don't receive the Calendar when you need it: this are not ideal solutions but perhaps you can use the digital PDFs until it arrives. Maybe you, or the person you intended it for will still enjoy playing a couple days to catch up. If you planned it as a gift, here are some picture options to print out for your recipient:
Lost Mail?
It happens during this time of year. I know it can suck. We all hate porch pirates. Here is what you need to know. If your tracking information shows that your package was delivered but you can't find it, USPS offers this advice:
Carrier may have placed it in a safer location, please check:
- Mailbox
- Porch
- Garage
- Any area out of potential weather hazards
- Exterior doors and any locations where the package could be placed
- Check your mailbox again as some packages come separately from your regular mail.
- Check with others in your house that may have accepted it.
In rare cases, package may show as 'delivered' but could take additional 24 hours. If it has been over 24 hours from the 'delivered' status, to save time a service request may be sent by email to your local Post Office™ facility for follow-up. You will receive a confirmation number and a contact within 2-3 business days.
We will need to follow up with USPS regarding any missing packages. Once they confirm it is lost, then we can send a replacement. See their site: https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm
The basic process is:
We won't be able to follow up on this until the first wave of shipping is done, so please reach out to your local carriers first and file those claims.
Mail Returned to Us
This can happen if delivery failed or the address was wrong, or the mail carrier didn't have enough coffee and holiday cookies. If we get an item abck, we will reach out to you and ask about correcting shipping info. We will attempt another delivery once before we ask that pay for further delivery attempts.
Missing & Damaged Items?
Sometimes there are mistakes - by us and sometimes mail carriers play soccer with your packages. If you have missing or damaged items:
Where is the App?
The digital app is still getting polished. You will hear from us when it is ready. Codes will be distributed like the digital PDFs.
Can my friends and family still order one?
Our online order store is still open for those that wish to order more, or have jealous friends that want their own copy. Order here: https://2024-quest-calendar.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Until the next update...
Print and Play Files
5 months ago
– Fri, Dec 01, 2023 at 03:54:57 PM
We distributed the Print-N-Play Files earlier this week. If you didn't get an email from BackerKit, check your survey.
Also, the characters, equipment, and inventory sheets can also be downloaded from the itch page.
From your survey, you will see a button to get your digital downloads. Click it.
Froom there, you will see a code for each Calendar/PDF you ordered. You only need to claim one of them. Give the rest away to friends or those you ordered the calendar for.
Clicking on the link will take you to itch.io where you can claim your download after creating an account.
After you create an account and claim your downloads, you will see multiple files.
Three of them are for the Calendar. 1 contains miscellaneous files:
- 6 PDFs for the different Heroes
- 1 PDF for Equipment management
- 1 PDF for Inventory management
- 1 PDF for Party and Pet management
- 1 PDF for the Map of Wrenwood
Why are there 3 versions of the files?
- 1x1 : If you don't intend to print the calendar, this is the best format.
- 1x1_reversed : This is the calendar formatted as published with the resolution for the current page on the back of the previous page (this is done to prevent spoilers). Use this option to print 1 page per sheet and print on both sides.
- 1x2_reversed : Paper saving option. This is formatted to print 2 pages per sheet of paper with the resolution for the current page on the back of the previous page (this is done to prevent spoilers). Use this option to print 2 pages per sheet and print on both sides to save paper.
Why create an account with itch.io?
I understand it can be frustrating to have to create another account on another platform you weren't expecting. I get the same feeling of frustration whenever I try to order food and am asked to use an app. Every fast food place has an app!!! Why!?!?!
We have many reasons for using itch.io. We've used them for the past four calendars to host our game files.
- Itch.io is simple and doesn't ask for or require much information beyond an email and a name.
- There are multiple zip files to manage, and each one containing the full calendar game (we have 3 formats available for printing) is over 700 MB. This alone limits our hosting options.
- Itch.io also has payment options for those finding our game through their popular platform.
- The PDFs will always be accessible and available to you on the itch.io platform.
You must complete your survey to get your downloads.
Yes, even if you only ordered the digital PDFs (Critter Tier), you must complete your survey.
Didn't get your Survey? No access?
Email us at [email protected], but first ↴
Did you use Apple Pay?
If you used APPLE PAY and don't have an email on your account, please message us on Kickstarter or email us at [email protected] so we can invite you to the pledge manager. If you don't receive an email invite to the pledge manager, this is likely the reason.
Food Coma Day!!!
6 months ago
– Fri, Nov 24, 2023 at 05:12:25 PM
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 🦃🍁🍂
Progress Update
We are still awaiting the last 2 items to arrive. Otherwise, we have all the items ready to go and we have set up our garage to begin shipping once the final packages are delivered. We expect we could begin shipping as early as December 5th.
We are still working on the 2024 App.
Here are the manufacturer images of the calendar and hero book. Do you zoom in to try to get a sneak peak?
Last-Minute Address Changes
Since there is a bit more time before we begin shipping, we've been able to extend the address date. So, if you have a last-minute address change, I've unlocked the addresses for you to update them. That 48-hour warning email has gone out again.
Local Pickup
If you are attending the local pickup event in Colorado Springs, don't forget to set your Country to "Local Pickup." We will see you there!
December 16, 2023 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
7681 North Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
https://petriesgames.com/event/quest-calendar-2024-sundial-games-launch-party/?instance_id=45592
Print-N-Play
I know many of you anxiously await the release of the PDF print-n-play versions. I had hoped to get them out to you today, but a few things came up (see below). I will be releasing them this weekend. Please forgive me for the delay.
Here are some fun updates and changes that never made it out in previous posts. There may not be additional time once we get busy with shipping.
Cover Art Update
We changed the cover art at the last minute when we submitted the files to print. I love the leaf rider scene, but ultimately went with this. I hope you like it.
Sticker Pages
This year, we have 3 pages of stickers to use for Pets, Hirelings, and Equipment.
Intro/Prologue Changes
In the past 3 calendars, we had a brief introduction and prologue that lasted about 2 weeks. This prologue took you through some events that set the stage for the story and used a single hero to do so. That hero or villain was played only briefly in the prologue. After that, you'd choose your hero or create your own to play for the remaining part of the year.
This year, we introduce all 6 heroes and have you play each for a week at a time. They each have their own short story that gives some background and brings depth to the world. After these first 6 weeks, you can choose one to play for the rest of the year or create your own.
I anticipate this being tricky for those who share a single calendar amongst a group. Remember, you can print off additional pages free from our website (available soon) or vote together on your decisions. I drew inspiration from Final Fantasy 9, and I love how this came out. I believe you will, too.
I want to say a personal thank you in advance to everyone for your condolences as I've navigated some tough times. I must share the news of my beloved mother's passing. Despite her valiant fight, the toll of her illness proved too great. We bid her farewell in a private service, celebrating her indomitable spirit and the love she shared. Your kindness and patience have been a beacon of light, and I am deeply thankful for that.
